April 22 is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a milestone worth celebrating! There are lots of fun ways to participate. You can plant a tree, sow some seeds for your garden, change a conventional light bulb to an energy-saving compact fluorescent one, pick up litter on the beach, recycle newspapers, bottles and cans, visit a zoo or aquarium or have an Earth Dinner. The concept of Earth Dinner to celebrate Earth Day was founded by Theresa Marquez and revolves around the philosophies of supporting local, sustainable and organic foods that will help keep our planet’s land, air, water and inhabitants healthy for generations to come. You could host a potluck dinner with regional specialties, plan an earth dinner fundraiser for your favorite local organization, and have an earth day party for kids or a simple supper with your family. If the weather is warm, try an earth day picnic. The main idea is to serve foods that are grown locally if possible and are gentle to the earth – organic vegetables and fruits, grass-fed, grass finished beef, free-range chicken or sustainably harvested fish – and raise awareness about the origins of our food. Use real cutlery, not plastic, real plates, not paper and cloth napkins. Seed packets make great place cards. Eat by candlelight to save energy and wash the dishes with non-toxic detergent. Earth dinner can be celebrated anytime – make it your new tradition! For ideas go to earthdinner.org.